


Finding Something to Live for

by WinterLioness



Category: Friday Night Lights
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-28 03:42:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10823019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterLioness/pseuds/WinterLioness
Summary: This takes place sometime after Tim lives with the Taylor's and will ignore her getting back with Matt.Basically its about how Tim needs to find something other then football (and rally girls) to be passionate about, and how maybe Julie needs to as well. And maybe they can find those somethings together."You have to save yourself, but maybe you don't have to do it alone."





	1. Chapter 1

If anyone asked Julie Taylor what she thought she was doing, cutting class to sit on the bleachers drinking beer with Tim Riggins of all people, she would have said she didn’t know. But that isn’t really the truth, she left class because she felt suffocated. And when she went for a walk and Tim’s tall frame on the otherwise empty bleacher caught her attention. And they were friends, sort of. 

He barely lifted his head when she sat beside him, though he did hold his beer out to her. She took a large sip before passing it back to him. Their fingers met on the bottle, her not letting go till he glanced up at her.

“Sad boy.” She whispered as she brushed his hair back so she could see his eyes better. He tilted his head into her hand a little, his eyes blurry from the case of beer he had already consummed. 

“Your dad hates me.” Maybe it was his matter of fact tone, or the mention of her father but she pulled her hand away, watching as a few pieces of his hair fell back as he looked to the field. 

“He doesn’t, he respects you, he is just overprotective.” He snorts at this and she wishes she knew how to find the words she wants to tell him. “He hates Matt.” She says with a snort, smiling when Tim’s half smile is visible thru the curtain of hair. 

“Do you care about how he feels about Matt?” She pauses at that, pulling her eyes from him to the field, snatching his beer to take a sip while she thinks.

“I don’t know. I want to say no, cause I really don’t want to think about Matt and who likes him or who doesn’t anymore. But he is the first guy I loved, and part of me is always going to want the best for him or whatever, I just really wish he wasn’t right there ya know?” Tim turns his head slightly to watch as her frown deepens when she is thinking of the right thing to say, how her lips curve around the lip of his can of beer. 

“Your dad thinks I can get into college.” He whispers it, like maybe the wind can erase it from ever being said. 

“Do you want to go to college?” Any reply he thought of would have surprised him less. Every time college had been mentioned around him there were only two types of people. The people like Lyla, Coach, and Coach’s wife who insisted he could do it, the kind of faith he didn’t think he deserved. Then there were the people like his brother, and most of this town who would laugh, because Tim Riggins in college? Pigs flying would surprise this small town less. No one, not one person before Julie Taylor had ever asked what he wanted. 

When it became clear that he wasn’t going to respond anytime soon Julie reached over, her tiny hand covering the back of his. 

“You know we aren’t that different.” He laughs at that, tilting his head to the side at her curiously. Julie has to make an effort not to scratch him behind the ears like she did with the dog her best friend two moves ago owned. “I'm serious. Everyone just expects me to go to college? Like Julie Taylor, daughter of Coach and Guidance counselor, virgin till marriage, destined for greatness and college.”

“And everyone expects me to fail.” She grasps his hand tighter in hers, pulling gently till he looks back to her.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” He laughs, surprised once again at Julie Taylor. 

“Drinking beer.” 

“Besides beer Tim. If you could do anything besides beer, football, and rally girls? Do you want kids? A wife? Any job in particular” 

“I don’t know.” She nudges his knee with hers, their hands still clasped. “Maybe, I could see myself as a dad I think.” The way he whispers it, like he is afraid if he says it out loud it might not come true, breaks her heart. Because silent wishes are for birthdays not whole lives. And the angry part of her that makes her feel out of control wants to scream at everyone who ever told this boy not to believe in himself. Instead she rests her leg against him, hoping it grounds him the way it does for her. 

“I could see that too.” She tells him, her voice strong and steady. “You are going to be a good dad one day.” 

“Not too soon I hope.” Coach’s voice shouts, from the end of the bleachers. Tim slides his hand from her grasp, standing in front of the box full of empty beer cans. Jules looks at her father, running her tongue against the back of her teeth where she can still taste the beer. “Time to get back to class Julie.” She looks back at Tim, giving him a smile that he can’t decipher before she is gone, walking down the bleachers. He doesn’t have time to try to figure out what that whole conversation was, because Coach is looking at him with the same face he always wears during practice. “You too Tim.” Is all he says before he turns away, heading towards the field house. 

Tim gets up, throwing the box away before heading back to class, just the hint of a smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Julie doesn’t see Tim for longer than a quick hello in the hallway till a week after their talk on the bleachers. She was studying in the library after school so she could catch a ride home with her dad. Tim’s truck is parked in its regular spot, hood popped open and she smiles when she sees his head bent over the engine. 

“Mechanic?” She questions, pulling her books to her chest as she stops next to his truck. He puts whatever tool he was using down, cleaning his hands on the rag that was hanging from the toolbox.

“She just is a little temperamental.” 

“What I meant was ever think about becoming a mechanic?”

“No, haven’t given it much thought.”

“I was just thinking, one of the only things Tim Riggins loves as much as football and rally girls is his truck. A ‘temperamental’ truck.” He gives her a look she can’t decipher before he ducks his head back under the hood. She sees her dad coming out of the fieldhouse and kicks Tim’s shoe gently before heading towards her dad’s SUV. “See ya later TIm.”

“Yea, see ya Little Taylor.”

 

***************************

“Teacher?” Is the first thing Tim says to her when he sees her next. It’s a by-week, so they are in some teenagers living room - lukewarm beer in red cups in their hands. 

“What?” Is all she manages to say, distracted by the drunk kids dancing to some terrible music that is way too loud. She feels too young and too old all at the same time.

“I could see you being a teacher.” He says with a smile like he is having to explain something to a child. Even in the dim lighting she can see the way his cheeks have the faintest pink, and she wonders if she has ever seen Tim Riggins blush before. She just nods and takes a sip, tucking her feet under her on the couch. 

“NFL player?” She says after a while. When he starts to shake his head she nudges her elbow against him. “Don’t say you aren’t good enough, cause you are. If that isn’t what you want then fine. But the only rule of this is no saying you can’t.” 

“I love football, love playing for coach. I just never saw myself playing in the big times ya know? I don’t like that kind of pressure, I like playing to play.” She nods at him, putting down her empty cup and taking his from his hands. He sends her that smirk that makes girls fall in bed with him when she wraps her lips around the rim of the cup. She rolls her eyes, taking a large sip and then exaggerating licking her lips. 

“Writer?” He asks her, stealing his cup back to chug the rest. She shrugs one shoulder at him, picking her cup back up and pressing it into his empty hand. 

“Bartender?” She says, laughing when he sighs before getting up to get them more drinks.

***********

She spends longer at that party then she has at any party before then. Matt and neither of his girlfriends show up that night, Tyra pulls her onto the dancefloor where they dance till they are out of breath and laughing. Landry smiles at Tyra in that way that makes Julie question how she doesn’t know just how much Landry really likes her. Julie catches Tim watching them from where he is leaning on the wall with one of the rally girls leaning onto him. She gives him a shy smile, before going back to whatever Tyra was saying. 

“Jules you need a ride home? It’s getting really late and I have to write a paper tomorrow.” Tyra suddenly says, moving her eyes to Landry before tilting her head at Julie.

“Oh umm, no I think I’m good. If I can’t catch a ride with someone else I can walk from here.” She tells her, trying not to look back to where Tim is standing. 

“You sure?” Landry asks, looking around the room at all the drunk people, he hasn’t drunk much in the past few nights and has been carrying the same half empty beer all night.When she nods he starts to turn around before looking back at her. “Just uh, I’ll leave my phone on in case you change your mind?” He tells her before he leaves, Tyra by his side. Julie wonders at their friendship for a few moments before she wanders into the kitchen.

“Easy there, Little Taylor, don’t think I will survive having to rescue you again.” 

“I don’t need saving Tim Riggins.” She tells him as she pours a healthy amount of coke in her glass that already has Rum. 

“Shots!!” A peppy voice rings out, only a few seconds before she has a shot of vodka pushed into her hand, she looks to Tim and they both shrug out a ‘why not’ at the same time, tapping their glasses on the countertop before they both toss their shots back. Julie reaches over for the chaser, glaring at Tim when he laughs at her. 

Somehow Julie manages to convince Tim onto the makeshift dancefloor, throwing smiles over her shoulder. There is something about the way that she jumps and twirls to the music, the way she has fun instead of trying to capture his attention that does exactly that. Sometime around the third song, when the cup she had him hold for her was empty and abandoned on the nearest surface, he put one of his hands on her hip. To his surprise she didn’t pull away, instead she turned her head up to look at him, giving him a shy smile. He couldn’t help but smile back at her. 

When her dancing became more swaying and she started to lean into him in a way he liked too much for his own comfort, he leaned by her ear, “I think it’s time you go home, coach’s daughter.” He hated that he had to remind himself of all the reasons he couldn’t do the things he wanted to do to her, but he had to put some distance between them. She nodded up to him, smiling when his arm went around her shoulder as he guided her from the house. 

“Taxi driver?” She jokes at him in the silence of the cab of his truck. He laughs as he reverses out of the driveway. 

“In Dillon?” She just smiles, twisting so her back is against her window and she can lean her head on the headrest while she looks at him. “Stay-at-home mom?” He teases back, making her kick at his leg lightly. “Hey! I’m driving here!”

“Trophy husband?” She quips back at him, laughing when he nods.

“Where do I apply?” She fights the closing of her eyes as he focuses on the road. He slows down as he turns onto her street. “Stripper?” He teases, grasping her foot before she has a chance to kick out at him.

“Ha! You wish!”

“Nah.” He whispers, suddenly somber. He takes his hand off her foot to put the truck in park on the street in front of her house. “I don’t like the thought of other guys watching you dance like that.” He tells her, hanging his head slightly while his hand finds her ankle and his fingers rub soft patterns into her ankle. The feminist in her wants to be annoyed at him, but instead she just feels warm inside, and not from the alcohol anymore. Part of her wants to never leave the safe warmth of his truck, but she forces herself to sit up straighter, grasping the hand that is still on his ankle.

“Thank you for the ride home.” She tells him, hoping the way she grasps his hand before she is sliding out of the truck and walking back into her house tells him all the things she hasn’t begun to understand yet. He waits till she has slipped inside and is closing the door to start up his truck and drive away. 

 

“Was that Riggins’s truck?” Her dad asked from where he was lounging on the front couch with an open playbook on his lap.

“Yea daddy, he drove me home.” She tells him, locking the door behind her and giving him a hug before making her way to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping keeping chapters short will help keep me motivated and updating.   
> Thanks for the kudos!   
> Don't forget to leave a comment if you have a moment!


	3. Chapter 3

“So are you trying to tap that?” One of the guys, number 46 Tim remembers distantly, asks him.

“Who?” Tim asks, not really paying attention to the secondstring. 

“Coach’s daughter.” The kid says, laughing while he doesn’t notice the sudden change on Tim’s face. Matt and Landry stop laughing, and suddenly the locker room is much less comfortable. 

“Dude.” One of the guys says, probably a friend of 46. Tim can’t seem to remember what position he plays, and he wonders if he will get a chance to tackle him on the field while he tries to come up with a response.

“I mean I know her and QB broke up cause she wouldn’t give it up, and if anyone is going to get a girl like that to drop her panties it’s you.” Suddenly the kid’s nose is bleeding, and Tim feels his hand hurting before he even realizes he punched the guy. The kid seems surprised himself before he goes for another punch. Tim doesn’t register anything till Coach is pulling him off the kid, shouting in his ear and the other kid’s friend is helping him up and holding him back at the same time. 

“Riggins my office!!” Coach yells, turning him in that direction before letting him go. 

“Daniel, go to the nurse and get that looked at,” he said gesturing to his face, “then I want you back in my office, understood?” 

“Yes sir,” Tim heard the kid say as he was dropping down in one of the chairs in coach’s office.

Tim noticed his leg shaking, and he watched as his knuckles bled onto his pants. It was a while before Coach sat in his chair across the desk from him.

“Landry and Matt said Daniel was making comments about my daughter?” Is the first thing he says. Tim glances up at him in surprise, wincing when he feels the cut on his forehead. 

“Yes sir.” He mumbles, still confused by this turn of events. Everyone, even coach, blames him before they get the full story. 

“Do you want to elaborate on the things he was saying?”

“No sir.” Tim has to force himself to relax his jaw, even if he wanted to tell Coach he isn’t sure he could get the words out. 

“You and Daniel are both suspended from the first half of the game on Friday. Understood?”

“Yes sir.” Tim nods, getting up and heading towards the door but Coach’s voice stops him before he can open the door.  
“I’m not sure what he said, but as a father and not a coach, Thank You.” Tim hides his pleased smile as he nods and walks out. 

***********

The next time he sees Julie she is leaning against his truck after the game. They won, it was a tough game but he thinks having to wait on the sidelines for the first half was much harder then trying to get points on the board in the second half.

“Good game.” She says when he is close enough to hear her. 

“Want a ride to Buckys?” He asks, looking towards her parents who have just met up as her dad came out of the fieldhouse. When he looks back to her he is surprised to find her fingertips just a breathe away from his forehead. 

“Yea, let me just let my mom know okay?” He watches as her hand falls back to her side before she slides past him. He gets in his truck, watching as her parents taking turns looking over at him while she is talking to them. Then suddenly she is opening the passenger door and he can’t help but smile at the way she has to jump the tiniest bit to get into his truck. She turns to face him, watching his fingers drum against the steering wheel as the parking lot clears up. 

“My dad mentioned the fight.” She tells him, also watching all the people piling into cars. “He sounded weird about it so I asked Landry.” That gets him to look at her from the corner of his eye. “I don’t really know what to say.” She settles on after a couple minutes of silence. 

“You don’t have-”

“Thank you.” She cuts him off, bringing a hand up to her necklace. “It wasn’t necessary, and I don’t want you to ever get hurt trying to defend my honor or whatever, but I guess I appreciate it?” 

He reaches over to lay a hand on her knee and squeeze, before he finally starts up the truck and turns to back up out of the parking spot. She is suddenly reminded how little Tim Riggins talks, besides apparently with her, and how he always seems to go back to physical touches when he isn’t sure what to say.

 

******************

The party is the same as every week they win a game. Buddy Garrity and the rest of the boosters holding court and talking game strategy over drinks. Coach Taylor, slowly getting more and more agitated. All the women talking book clubs and dinner parties. Tyra raises her eyebrows when she sees Julie and Tim walk in side by side. She quickly steals her away and Tim joins his team in drinking snuck in drinks. 

“So what’s that about?” Tyra demands, once she has pulled her away from the main crowd. 

“What’s what?” Julie asks, her lips in a half smile as she watches her parents send each other annoyed looks over other parent’s shoulders.

“You and Riggins.” 

“We are just friends.” 

“No girl is just friends with Tim Riggins.” Julie rolls her eyes at Tyra. 

“I guess I’ll be his first.” Julie snarks at her, making them both pause and look at each other before bursting into laughter. They both grab a cup of soda, saying hello and answering the questions directed at them, before finding a couch and dropping down next to each other.

“Julie, do you like Tim?” Tyra asks gently.

“Would you be mad if I did?” Julie whispered.

“No, Tim and I are over. But Jules-”

“Ugh.” Julie slouches against the couch, putting her hands over her face. “I don’t know how this happened, like I don’t even know how we became friends ya know?” Tyra just leans her head against her shoulder and sits with her in silence while they people watch. Her parents come over after a while and ask if she wants a ride home.

“A bunch of people are going to get milkshakes.” Tyra pipes up, smiling up at Mrs. Taylor. 

“Just be home before eleven, Jules.” Her mom says before she passes a sleeping Gracie Bell to coach Taylor as they walk out. 

*******

Somehow Julie ends up in a booth with Tyra, Tim, and Landry. She is relieved to find Matt didn’t come, she still isn’t sure how to act around him after the break up. 

“So Tim, how’s your face?” Tyra asks, ignoring the look Julie shoots her. At his mumbled, “fine.” She tilts her head at him - in the way he knows means trouble is coming. “How’d that happen again?”

Landry for his part sinks down in his seat a little, while Julie elbows Tyra in the ribs. When Tim just leans back, crossing his arms Tyra nods with a smile like she won a game no one else knew they were playing. 

“Right! Well okay then! I’m gonna go grab a soda, wanna come with me Landry?” Landry shoots up from his seat, following behind her. 

“Sorry.” Julie mumbles, watching as Tyra teases Landry, now leaning against the counter by the soda machine. Tim doesn’t say anything, just continues to dip his fries in his milkshake. She steals a few of his fries, sticking them in her milkshake sticking out her tongue when he tries to slide the plate farther away from her. He smirks at her, throwing a fry at her making her laugh. 

“Can I drive you home?” He questions once she stops laughing. She gives him a searching laugh but nods anyway. 

“After we finish these fries?” 

“Get your own fries Little Taylor.” He tells her, but makes no effort to stop her from stealing another fry. He coughs and has to make an effort not to watch her eating - he always used to laugh when the guys talked about how sexy it was watching girls eat. And most girls he hung out with ate like people were watching them, but the way Julie Taylor eat - small bites like she wanted to savour every moment, made him understand where the other guys were coming from. 

“Doctor?” He asks her, not being able to help the smile that comes to his face when she smiles up at him. 

“Hate the sight of blood.” She looks at him in the way she does when she is thinking. “Military?”  
He pauses at the waver in her voice, kicking his foot against hers gently. He shrugs one shoulder when she glances at him and she kicks back at his foot. 

“Lawyer?” He says after a while. She just shakes her head, stealing another fry.

“Farmer?” 

“President?” He teases, wincing when she lands a solid kick against his shin. He wraps his leg around her calf, pulling her slightly off her booth. She laughs, stealing his last fry and dipping it in her milkshake. She takes a bite out of it, offering him the other half which he takes by holding onto her wrist while he wraps his lips around her fingers to take the fry. He watches as she blushes and starts fitting the lid on her milkshake when he lets her hand go. Tyra chooses that moment to announce herself by giving a wolf whistle. Tim watches in amusement as Julie blushes even more, tossing the wrapper from her straw at Tyra. 

“I’m heading to a party, want to come or want a ride home girlie?” Tyra asks, leaning her hip against the table. 

“Nah, Tim will take me home.” Julie tells her, trying to fight the blush that is rising on her cheeks. Tyra turns to look at Tim, evaluating him for a moment before seeming to come to her mind.

“You get her home safe.” Tyra tells him, waving over her shoulder as she walks away.

*******

“I have a while before I have to be home.” She tells him once they have pulled out of the parking lot. 

“Oookay.” He drawls out, glancing at her as he comes to a stop at one of the few stoplights in this town.

“Can we go walk somewhere?” She asks him when they start to move again. He pulls out of town, stopping once he gets to an empty stretch of road. 

“Come on, there is this lake out abouta half a mile.” She slides out of the truck, leaning into his side when he slings an arm around her shoulders. They walk mostly in silence, and it’s nice, being able to be quiet with someone else.

“So what’s you opinion?” She asks once the get to the lake and she has her shoes off and toes in the water.

“On?” He asks, he is sitting next to her, skipping rocks. 

“Me, being a virgin.” When he just glances at her with an eyebrow raised she blushes, picking up a rock to skip. “Seems like everyone else in this town has an opinion. My parents hope I’m a virgin till I get married probably. Actually I’m pretty sure my dad hopes I die one.” That gets a snort out of him. “Matt was understanding but I could tell he was getting frustrated. The girls at school think I’m an idiot for not just giving it up to make him stay. Which is ridiculous since I broke up with him. And well I guess you know what the guys at school think, that I’m some kind of challenge.”

“You aren’t a challenge.” He says softly, passing her a rock before skipping his own. “Can I ask why you still are? I know it’s a bigger deal for girls but I guess why not Matt?” She tosses the rock between her two hands, watching the ripples from the rock he just skipped.

“We almost did once. He borrowed a friend’s renting cabin and I lied to my parents and it was supposed to be perfect right? But it was mostly just awkward.” He looks over at her, at the way the sunset looks against her blonde hair. “My mom always tells me it should be with someone I love.” He laughs at that, thinking of all the girls that had shared his bed. “Yea, and I did love Matt, but I’m not sure if I ever really trusted him? Which isn’t fair because he never gave me a reason not too.” She kicks her feet, splashing him with some of the water. Suddenly she pulls her feet out, turning to him, kissing him when he looks to her. He kisses her back like it’s second nature, his hands on her hips as she swings one of her legs over his. He pulls back at the new contact, leaning his head against her collarbone.

“Is this your way of telling me you trust me?” He jokes, cutting off his laugh when she shifts her hips against his. He tightens his hold on them, “Jules.” He warns. 

“You make me less afraid.” She tells him, her voice sounding like a whine.He just head butts her collarbone again, before pulling his head up enough to kiss her shoulder softly. “I think maybe I’m afraid of doing things if I don’t know I’m going to be good at them.”

“I’m not a good guy.” He tells her, and she sighs at that before trying to kiss him again. “Jules.” She pulls back when his voice breaks a little. “You can’t save me.” He tells her, leaning back on his elbows. 

“I don’t think you need to be saved.” She tells him, sitting back but not yet getting off of him. Later she will probably wonder why doing this with Matt would make her stammer and blush but sitting here like this with Tim made her strong in a way she hasn’t felt before. For now she just leans against the hand he uses to brush her hair from her face. 

“I think you need to be getting home.” He tells her when her eyes open again.

“I like you.” She told him, “And not just for this,” she gestured between the two of them, “but I like you as a friend too.”

“Your father is going to kill me.” He says, right before he leans up to capture her lips with his again. She smiles against his lips, pulling away to laugh when his fingers tickle her as he slides his hands up her hips. He looks startled for a second, laughing before they kiss again. “I could get use to kissing you, Julie Taylor.”

She smiles, running one of her hands thru his hair, before she kisses him again. Her smile widens when she can feel the upturn of his lips against hers. She uses one hand to push him, he takes the hint and lays on his back, pulling her down on top of him. She pulls away when she starts to feel lightheaded, panting as he mouths at her neck. She tugs at his hair when he starts to bite and suck at one spot. 

“No marks my parents can see.” She warns him, making him pull back and lean his head on the ground. She ducks her head against his neck, placing gentle kisses, then biting softly against his neck when he groans. He brings one of his hands from her hip to the back of her head before flipping them, smiling when she giggles. 

“Tell me when to stop.” He tells her, before ducking his head down to her stomach where his hand has made her shirt ride up. He kisses at her stomach until her back arches into his touch. He blows against her stomach, making her squeal and pull away from him. 

“Tim!” She admonishes, pulling his hair till he looks up at her. He laughs against her stomach, resting his chin on her belly button. She thinks, maybe for the first time, that for all the way the world treats him like a man that he is still just a boy with floppy hair. He just watches her, before he moves to sit up. He watches her as one of his hands goes to the button of her jeans. He unbuttons them slowly, not knowing why he is pausing till she nods softly. He leans back over her, kissing her as his fingers find their way into her pants. She pulls her head back, the hand he isn’t currently using wrapping around the back of her head. 

“Careful.” He murmurs, as his hand cushions her head from the ground. He pushes his palm against her, watching her face change before she is pulling him back down for another kiss. He pushes one finger into her, she bites his lip before relaxing back into the kiss. He stretches his finger inside her as his thumb presses against her clit. She moans out at that, pulling back from his kiss so she can pant against his cheek. After a couple seconds of him trying to ease her into it she grinds down on his finger.

“More?” He asks against her ear, biting on the lobe gently. She nods, forgetting how to breathe for a moment. He adds another finger, groaning at the feel and at the awkward angle. 

“Feels good.” She bites out, trying to grind her hips into his. He adjusts so his knee is between her legs, giving her something to grind onto as he pulls his fingers out. She whines at the loss, giving him her best puppy eyes when he smirks at her. He sits up enough to help her ease her pants off, before putting his knee back where she can grind against him. 

“It’s getting late,” he whispers against her collarbone where he has started nipping again. “I can make you cum, but it’s going to have to be quick.” He tells her, watching her facial expression as she gets a crease between her eyebrows. 

“Okay.” She breathes out, before he is pushing her underwear to the side so he can slide two of his fingers into her. He pumps them in and out, dragging them against her clit as he goes. He bites against her still clothed breast when she moans his name. 

“You’re amazing.” He tells her, pulling at her shirt till he can get the v neck partially over her other breast and starts biting at the exposed skin. “So beautiful,” he breathes against her breast, watching as she bites her lip. Matt always rarely even called her pretty, most guys were to afraid of her father to even look her way. “Next time can I taste you?” At her eager nod and hair tug he bites down harder on her breast, causing her hips to rock back into his hand while her back arches. “You want my mouth on you?” He teases, adjusting so he can bite at her chin. She tries to chase his lips, which he shakes his head at, pulling away and stilling his fingers. She whines, though it quickly turns into a moan when the hand that isn’t inside of her pushes her hips into the ground. He pushes his palm against her stomach where her shirt has ridden up.   
“I got you.” He growls into her ear before pressing a bruising kiss to her lips. 

“Please?” She whines, one of her hands on the back of his neck in his hair and the other grasping onto his forearm. When he pinches her clit between his thumb and pointer finger she tugs at his hair, biting on her own lip. When she can’t get any friction from moving her hips she uses one of her legs, grinding her foot into his lower back to get some leverage. He smirks against her lips, pulling back enough to watch her face as he curls his fingers inside her. The way she moans his name has his hips jerking against her. 

“Jules.” He groans out, before sliding her leg off his back so he can get far enough back to bite at her inner thigh. She moans at that, pulling on his hair hard enough to make him wince. He gently removes her hand from his hair, guiding it to her own breast before he bites down on her other thigh, giving it short sweet kisses as she moans, rocking her hips against where his fingers are still inside of her. “Jules.” He says against her underwear, kissing her sweetly when she whines. “Think you are ready to cum?” He asks, lifting his head enough to catch her eye.

“Please.” She cries out, pulling at her own breasts with both her hands now. He grinds his hips down, looking for friction he isn’t going to get, at the sight. He can feel the way her hands kneading her own breasts has her clit practically vibrating. He nods to her, his nose bumping against her clit before he leans his head back down to suck on her clit. Her orgasm comes just as his fingers find the spongy bundle of nerves inside of her, and he bites oh so gently on her clit. She moans his name in a half yell, and he pulls his fingers out slowly, laughing when one of her hands grabs his forearm. He licks at her gently till she comes down, taking deep breaths before she nods and he withdraws his fingers from her, sucking on his fingers. She tugs at his forearm again, and he lets her guide his fingers to her mouth where she licks the taste of herself off of him. He moans, dropping his head against her collarbone, barely managing to control the grind of his hips into hers. 

“Wow.” She breathes out, and he smiles against her lips. He just lays there for a minute, till her breathing is back under control and he can move without it being painful. He sits up, offering his hand to help her up, then helping her get her jeans back on. 

 

They don’t talk again till they are back at his truck, having to use her phone as a light source. “I don’t want to date other people.” He tells her, once she is buckled in the truck is started up again. She looks over at him, a smile breaking onto her face when she notices his smile.

“Yea?”

“Yea.” 

**********

“Tell Tim to come in sometime when he drops you off honey.” Her mom says when she walks in the door. 

“Sure mom.” She tells her, bringing her hand to her lips where Tim had kissed her goodbye before she slid out of his truck. She looked at the clock on her desk, and sighed at the thought that she could have spent three more minutes kissing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Tim is kind of out of character - but he also seemed that way on the show when he was with certain people. I'm going to try to write some chapters with him interacting with other characters to counteract the out of characterness.   
> I'm not sure what I should rate this as so I put it at the highest rating just in case. 
> 
> Let me know what you think?


	4. Chapter 4

“I think we should take things slow.” Tim rushes out as soon as he sees Julie at school on Monday. 

“Hi Tim, nice to see you, how was your Sunday?” Julie snarks back, glancing at him from where she is getting her books out of her locker. He just blinks at her, ducking his head to hide behind his hair. She laughs, bumping her hip into his and shutting her locker. When she goes to walk away he grabs her elbow causing her to pull her books closer to her body as he crowds her back against the locker. He bends his head, kissing her for a moment, biting on her bottom lip as he pulls away. 

“Hi Julie.” He whispers, pulling away and smiling down at her. 

“Hello Tim Riggins.” She says back, brushing her hair behind her ear as she looks up at him. “What do you mean by taking things slow?” 

“Can I take you out?” He asks her, ducking his head again, though that just brings their faces closer together. She nods, squeezing his hand and tugging on it so they can walk towards their first classes together. 

When they get to the doorway of her classroom she lets him pull her to the side. “My mom wants you to come over for dinner.” He winces, barely noticeable, but it makes her brush her fingertips against his cheek for a moment. “She likes you.” She reminds him, frowning at the surprise in his eyes. 

“So Coach knows?” She almost hits his nose as she swings her head up in surprise. 

“He wasn’t up when I got home.” She whispers, biting her lip as she looks at him. “My mom might not have told him yet.” He just looks at the students giving them looks as they pass him by. Julie looks back to Tim when she sees Matt at the end of the hall. 

“He’ll find out by practice.” She nods, squeezing his hand.

“I don’t have dance today, I was going to hang out in the library till practice was over but I can come watch?” She offers, glancing nervously at the now almost empty hallway. The warning bell rings above her.

“Nah.” She nods at him, standing on her toes to give him a quick kiss, laughing as he tries to pull her back. 

“Get to class Riggins,” she tells him over her shoulder as she enters the classroom, he nods before turning to walk down the hallway. She ducks her head to hide her smile as she takes her seat.

*********  
Julie doesn’t see Tim again till after practice. She is kicking stones in the parking lot, her books on the ground by her dad’s SUV. Matt is leaning against the side of the fieldhouse, all nervous movements and angry looks. He is always one of the first guys out of the locker room, where as Tim is usually one of the last ones.

“We broke up.” Julie explains, sounding very much like she has said it a hundred times already. She rolls her eyes when Tim looks at her. 

“I-I know Julie.” 

“You didn’t get to decide for me what I wanted when we were dating, you definitely don’t now.” She tells him, watching as his eyes go wide when he notices Tim. Tim just shakes his head, his freshly showered wet hair sending water drops flying. Julie laughs, wiping the water from her face. 

“Hey Rigs.” 

“Seven.” 

“Right!” Julie says, her eyes getting comically wide as she watches her dad come out of the doorway Tim is still hovering in. “Hi dad!” 

“Julie.” Coach says, nodding at her to get in his truck. “Good job out there today Saracen.” Matt nods, looking wistfully at Julie before walking off to find a ride home. “Riggins a word.” He says, as Tim is turning to leave. Tim glances at his truck, refusing to look at Julie before meeting Coach’s eyes.

“Yes sir.”

“I hear from my wife, among others, that you have taken a special interest in my daughter?” He asks, tilting his head in the way Tim has learned means bleacher sprints are in his future.

“Yes sir.” He mutters, finally glancing up to where Julie is watching. They both stare at each other for a few minutes, Tim barely resisting the urge to scuff his feet like he did when he was three.

“I would like to have a talk with you without my daughter looking like she is going to interrupt any minute, but until then I can trust your intentions with my daughter are pure?” 

“Yes Coach.” Tim says, fighting himself not to mumble. He isn’t often nervous - hasn’t cared much about authority since he was little, at least until Coach Taylor. Coach nods, opening his car door. Tim tries not to laugh as Julie slams herself back into her seat from where she was leaning across the center console to hear better. “Oh and Tim? I hope to see you at dinner one day this week.” 

Tim watches as the Coach and his daughter drive away, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel of his old beat up truck. 

********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping to write more this week - Tim's Dinner with the Taylor's is hopefully next. I'm also hoping to write some with the Riggins brothers (and maybe Julie as well.)  
> Anyway as usual review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Tim doesn’t manage to work up the courage to attend dinner till Thursday night. It was a game week so he couldn’t put it off any longer. 

“Hey Tim come on in.” Mrs. Taylor told him, closing the door behind him. “Julie is in the living room finishing up some homework.” 

“I just finished my last sheet!” Julie called from the couch where her textbooks were spread out around her. Coach was in the reclining chair, remote in his hand, watching game tapes. “Hey, Tim.” She said to him, pausing tossing her books into her school bag to smile up at him. 

“Hey Jules. Coach.” 

“Riggins.” Coach grunted out. Tim sat down on the couch, a respectable distance from Julie, before commenting on the game tape. Julie just smiled over her shoulder at her mom who was rolling her eyes. 

“Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, want to set the table Julie?” 

“Sure mom.” Julie nudged her barefoot against Tim’s leg before swinging her feet off the couch to help her mom. 

 

“So Tim how are classes?”

“Good Mrs. Taylor. I’m even attending most of them.” Tim bit out, wincing when Julie kicked his leg softly. “I’m really enjoying Mr. Robbin’s class? The new english teacher?” He added after a moment, ducking his head when both the Taylor women smiled at him. 

“Have you started looking at colleges?” She asked him, causing Julie to shoot a glare her way. Tim almost laughed at the angry look on Julie’s face. It was strange having so many people caring about him. 

“Not really, mam.” He answered, taking a huge bite, hoping it would keep the guidance counselor from asking him anymore questions.

“Well it is getting to that time where -”

“Mom!” Julie snapped, blushing slightly when all eyes - even her baby sister’s turned to her. “Maybe you can save the interrogation and lecture for your office?”

“Julie.” Her father spoke up, making Julie slump in her seat slightly. Gracie chooses that moment to throw the mashed potatoes she had been playing with in Julie’s hair. 

“Ugh.” She says, scowling as everyone else starts to laugh. She gets up quickly, glaring at them all before walking to the bathroom.

“I’m going to go clean the little food artist up.” Tami tells them, picking Gracie up but holding her away from her body as she walked to Gracie’s room. 

Tim glanced at Julie’s father, pushing some of the food around on his plate as he tried to think of what to say. 

“So Riggins, what exactly are you hoping to get out of dating my daughter?” 

“Sir?” He asked, glancing to the hallway Julie and her mother had walked down. “I know I’m not good enough for your daughter, but no one is or will be. Sir.” Coach nodded his head, the smallest hint of a smile. “Honestly, I’m not sure what the future is gonna be.” Tim looked at Coach, absently thinking it was weird seeing his eyes without the sunglasses or helmet getting in the way. “I know that I want her to be happy, and she seems to think I make her happy so I’m just going to do whatever I can to not change that.” Coach finally smiled, as much as he had ever seen him smile, before clapping him on the shoulder as he got up to get Gracie from Tami who was walking back in. 

He waited till Tami had started picking up some of the plates and he was bouncing Gracie on his knee before looking back at Tim. “You aren’t a bad guy.” Coach finally tells him, and Tim can feel his jaw slackened but isn’t sure how to process coach not warning him to stay as far as he can from his daughter. He looks up to see Julie leaning on the hallway hall, a bright smile on her face.

“Julie come sit down.” Her father tells her, with what she likes to refer to as his ‘game face’ on. “It is time to lay down some ground rules.” Tami comes around the kitchen counter, Gracie Bell on her hip. “No drinking.” He looks to Julie, “No driving her if you have had so much as a sip.” He tells Tim. “I don’t want you skipping classes or coming home after curfew. No talking about her in the locker room. If you two are here I want no closed doors, and on different pieces of furniture.” Coach finished, looking to Tami for any further rules. Tim kicked at Julie’s leg while she sulked in her seat. 

“I don’t want any grades slipping.” Tami said, bouncing Gracie on her hip. “And I want open communication. Weekly family dinners, and that includes you Tim.” His head shot up, wincing at the pull in his neck, as he gave her a surprised look. He hadn’t ever been included in family dinners. Sure Jason’s family had family dinners but those were the nights he would be forced to go to his house to eat pizza with his brother. 

“Is that all?” Julie asked, heavy on the sarcasm. Tim watched the way she glanced between her two parents. Tami sighed, sharing a look with her husband.

“I don’t need the attitude Julie.” She warned softly, before fixing the smile back on her face. “So who wants dessert?”


	6. Chapter 6

They win the game the day after their first family dinner. Julie finds herself in the stands, bouncing her baby sister on her knee, smiling as she watches her father yelling on the sidelines and her boyfriend running across the field. Tyra is sitting on the opposite side of her as her mother, and she elbows her the few times Tim looks over his shoulder towards them. 

“He really likes you ya know?” Tyra leans over to whisper in her ear, laughing when Julie ducks her head. 

When it gets to half time she leaves her sister with her mother, who is talking to one of the booster moms that had claimed the seat next to her. Tim leans over the fence separating the field from the stand, grinning when the rest of the boys from the team wolf whistle from behind him. Julie places her hands on the fence, going on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss, which he deepens for a second before pulling away and giving her that smirk as he jogs backwards then runs off to the locker room behind the rest of his team.

“Told ya,” Tyra teases, linking her arm with Julie’s and pulling her towards the concession stands. 

“What about you and Landry?” Julie asks, pulling her by the arm to avoid the crowds of teenagers. 

“What about us?” Tyra snarks back, pretending to be absorbed in reading the menu options. 

“Are you two dating or are you going to keep dragging him along?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.” Julie doesn’t answer, just sending her a ‘really?’ look. “It’s not!”

“I just don’t want to see Landry hurt.”

“You mean like you did to Matt right?” Julie pulled her arm away, turning to face Tyra. 

“Seriously?” 

“I’m just confused, one day you and Matt are in love, like that everlasting bs everyone says they are looking for, then you are broken up and he is a mess and you don’t seem to care. Then suddenly you are with Tim Riggins? Like don’t get me wrong, I love Tim, he is more family to me then most of my own family, but he is Tim Riggins. Official teen drunk of this town.” Julie walks away as she is talking, moving them to a more secluded corner. 

“Ya know what’s funny? He thinks you believe in him.” Julie tells her, glancing towards the field where the cheerleaders are finishing up their halftime routine. “Matt wasn’t good for me, you realize that right? I don’t care how good we were on paper. I started to hate who I was becoming with him. I couldn’t trust him and I didn’t feel comfortable with him. I thought you got that, but you are to busy with whatever it is you are keeping me from, and that’s fine. You know whatever.” Julie tells her, brushing past her to go back to where her mom is sitting. “But I don’t need you judging me.” Tyra kicks at the ground, cursing to herself as she wraps her arms around herself. She watches as Julie makes her way back to her mother, back straight and head up. After most everyone has gone back to the stands she makes her way to the parking lot, wiping the tears away.

****************************************************

“Hey honey, where’s Tyra?” Julie’s mom asks her when she takes her seat.

“Who knows?” She bites out, brushing her hair behind her ears. “We got into a fight.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asks, Julie just shakes her head, waving with her fingers at Tim who is looking at her with his head tilted to the side. She wonders, not for the first time, how so many people can judge this boy who could pass a puppy with those eyes, as a man not worth their time. So many people in this town say he is only worth a grain of salt because how he plays on that field. 

He lifts half his mouth into an almost-smile before putting his helmet on and facing her father, before running back onto the field. The anger that is still turning in her stomach pulls her focus to the way the adults in this town watched him struggle and suffer as a child, and now judge him for the way those circumstances have changed him. She has to form her hands into fists, her nails leaving indents in her hands, her eyes focused on the game but her mind focused on the argument with Tyra. 

***************************

They win the game and she spends the booster’s after-game party tucked under Tim’s arm. She always thought she would hate this, she always silently judged those giggling girls at all the football parties she had been to over the years. The girls she assumed based their worth on who they were going home with that night. She wonders if anyone is thinking similar things about her right now, and finds herself pulling his hand down to wrap their fingers together. He smiles at her, squeezing her hand as he is nodding Buddy as he is talking about what a great game it was. 

When Buddy starts rambling she makes some mumbled excuse before pulling away. He keeps nodding as Buddy talks, watching Julie brush past her parents, ignoring her mother trying to get her attention. He makes an apology to Buddy before following after her. 

He drops down next to her on the bench outside the restaurant they had cleared out for this booster party. He kicks her foot gently, letting his leg rest against hers. After a few minutes she bites her lip then looks up at him.   
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She tells him, glaring at the storm that is starting to form at the already dark horizon. 

“Okay.” He tells her, leaning his head back against the building. She looks back at him, nodding softly. 

“I really just want to get a drink and dance or something.” She tells him, tapping her fingers against her knee. 

“Your dad-” He cuts himself off when she whips her head back around to face him fully as she glares at him. He holds his hands up in the surrender position, smirking when she smiles again. “The after party is at Dylan’s house tonight.” 

“I’ll check in with my parents, see how late I can make curfew?” He catches her hand as she is going to stand. He nods, almost to himself, after a moment of holding her hand before letting go. 

 

************************************

“Driving instructor?” She questions, tapping her foot to the beat of the radio he has playing quietly. 

“Is that your way of asking if I can teach you to drive?” He asks, looking at her as he pulls up to one of the few stoplights in this town. 

“I know how to drive.” She tells him, a petulant tone to her voice. “I just don’t know how to drive stick.” She tells him, nodding her head to his right hand. 

“Sure” he tells her, smiling at her again before he pushes on the gas. “Dancer?” 

“Maybe.” She pauses for a moment. “I’m not that good, not top level good.” 

“That’s not-”

“It is true. Maybe with enough practice and dieting and dedication. I don’t know if I love it enough to be great, and I guess I never really learned how to be okay, or even just good at something, ya know?” 

He doesn’t know, not in the same way she does. He hasn’t ever really had anyone to teach him thinks, or inspire him to be great at things. Jason was the great one, he has always been good. Maybe better than good, but never the best. 

“You could always become the new Buddy and sell cars.” She teases.  
“I don’t think I can talk as much as that man, ever.”

***************************************

Tim stays silent as Julie downs one drink, then reaches for his to sip on. He laughs with her when she insists on playing beer pong, playfully punching one of his teammates who teases him for letting her drink most of his cups. Thankfully she is pretty good, despite claiming the opposite, and he has played drunk enough times that being able to clearly see the cups greatly improves his game. Afterwards she pulls him onto the ‘dancefloor’, giving her best puppy dog eye impression when he resists. She leans on her toes to kiss him, sighing against his mouth as he wraps his hands around her back. When she has to pull back to breathe she smiles up at him. 

“You make me happy.” She tells him, biting at his bottom lip before pulling all the way away with a deep blush. He smiles and tugs her off the dance floor and out the front door. When they are away from the rest of the teenagers he crowds her against the porch railing. He gives her this look she hasn’t been able to decipher yet, the one he normally gives her when he thinks she isn’t looking, before he is leaning in to kiss her. He wraps one of his hands against her thigh, groaning slightly at the feel of bare skin. She had worn a skirt today, one that flowed out around her when he caught her spinning in the hallway, dancing with her friends in between classes. 

She wraps her arms around his neck as he lifts her. When she pulls back for breath he nips gently at her chin, mouthing his way down her neck. When he gets back to right under her ear she rocks her hips against his, making him groan and drop his head to her collarbone. “Fuck.” She whispers, blushing when she realizes she said it outloud. He lifts his head to smirk at her, making her blush further at how blown his pupils are. 

“I want you to be happy.” He whispers against her collar bone, pressing a kiss after like he is sealing the secret into her skin.

“I had a fight with Tyra.” She tells him, sliding back to her feet. 

“Yea?” 

“She was just being judgemental. I think something is up with her and Landry.” He nods to show he is listening, helping her as she slides off the banister back to her feet. He catches the groan in his throat as she fixes her skirt. He twirls his fingers back with hers, tugging gently at the end of the skirt. 

“You okay?” 

“Mostly just mad I think. I get that she can’t or doesn’t want to tell me everything but she doesn’t have to take it out on me.” She whines.   
“You guys will figure it out.” He reassures her, pressing a kiss against the top of her head. 

“I guess.” She mumbles, smiling at the slight blush she can see on his face against the headlights of someone driving down the street. “I should probably get home before curfew.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update!! Sorry about the wait.

She makes it home before curfew, kissing him in the front seat of his truck until her front porch lights flick on. His hand stills on her thigh, where it had been inching higher under her skirt. He groans as she whines softly, stealing another kiss before sliding back to her seat and adjusting her clothes. He smirks at her, reaching over to fix her hair where one of his hands had been tangled in before. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” She checks, smiling at his half nod before closing the truck door behind her. 

 

“Night Dad.” She tells her father, giving him her most innocent smile. 

“Night Julie.” He tells her, glancing up before going back to watching the game he had recorded. 

“Julie, can we talk a minute?” Her mom asks, coming out of Gracie Bell’s nursery. Julie nods, sitting on her bed as her mom comes to her side. “So I know you and Tim just started seeing each other, and I know things were getting pretty… intense.. With Matt.” She says, stumbling over finding the right words, as much as her mother ever does at least. 

“Mom.” She mumbles, bringing her feet onto her bed. 

“You can talk to me.” She insists, and Julie wants to groan. Her mother always says that, then goes out of her way to make her not trust her. She mumbles an affirmative, pulling at the thread of her skirt. “I just want to know you are being safe. And that Tim isn’t pressuring you or anything.” 

“He wouldn’t” Julie says, then insists, “He wouldn’t pressure me, and he won’t hurt me.”

“Honey.” Tami says in that tone, the ‘I feel bad that I’m so much smarter than you tone’ that makes Julie go on the defensive no matter the subject. 

“The funny thing here is we never had this conversation about Matt. You realize that right?” Julie takes a deep breath, crossing her arms across her chest as she leans back against the headboard. Before her mother can respond she continues, “When I do decide I’ll be safe. But you don’t get to judge Tim like he is a bad guy.”

“I don’t think Tim is a bad kid, I just think he has had a hard life and makes a lot of bad decisions, decisions I don’t want you making.” Julie nods.

“Whatever, mom.” She mumbles, biting on her lip to avoid defending him and extending this conversation further. 

 

****************  
“I’m blaming you for this.” Tammy warns her husband when he comes into their room that night.

“What now?” He asks, as he is getting ready for bed.

“Tim Riggins.” He shakes his head at that, collapsing onto the bed next to her. “I’m serious. When I was worried about Matt, you jinxed it.”

“Are you trying to say a comment I made however long ago is responsible for who our daughter is choosing to date?”

“Don’t make fun of me!” She warns, sitting up to glare at him better. “I’m serious.”

“Do you want me to have another conversation with her?”

“Because that worked so well last time?”

“Then what exactly do you want me to do with that information?” She shrugs her shoulders, laying back down. 

***************

By-weeks in football season almost always mean dance recitals for Julie. Everything else in her life is football football football. So the night before the recital she finds herself at the Riggins. 

“You don’t have to come.” She tells Tim, picking at her hangnails to avoid looking over at him. He just turns to look at her. “It’s just dance.”

“I’m never going to turn down a chance to see you dance.” He tells her with a smirk.

“It’s not that kind of dancing.” She warns him, smiling over at him. 

“You nervous or something?” 

“I’m not being tackled by guys twice my size.” She snarks back, glancing at the tv that is turned down low. 

“They aren’t twice my size!” He practically growls at her, leaning over to kiss her. “And anyway I get twice as nervous for algebra tests as I ever have for a game.” She likes the way he stays close after a kiss, making his secrets always sound just a little more private. Even in his house when no one else is there.

“It’s just going to be you and my parents.” She reminds him, swinging her feet into his lap. 

“I know.” He tells her, leaning back and tilting his head. “Is that a problem?” 

“No. Of course not.” He waits her out again, and she leans over to kiss him, if only so she won’t have to see the Riggins puppy eyes. “I don’t know- it’s just my mom I guess. She wanted to talk last night.” 

“I’m still surprised your parents let me anywhere near you.” 

“As long as we are on different pieces of furniture.” She jokes, “So are you going to get my mind off of it? If I go home I am just going to stress about tomorrow’s recital.” He laughs, seemingly surprised by it, before leaning over to kiss her again.

******************

**Author's Note:**

> I have a general outline of where I want this story to go but I'm not the best at updating.  
> Hoping I get some feedback to keep it up. :)


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